


Flight of the Bluebird

by Marc_Quill



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Superhero Romance, Toronto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 09:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marc_Quill/pseuds/Marc_Quill
Summary: In this special one-shot, Skye Emery comes to an understanding about her emotions as she reconnects with Zaida Khan, an old friend of hers from long ago, over a coffee date. Through conversations and reminiscing of old memories, Skye and Zaida soon learn that the beauty of true love is something that transcends cultures and perseveres through time.





	Flight of the Bluebird

**_“Flight of the Bluebird”_ **

**A Skye Emery Adventure**

**Written & Created by Marc Quill**

_**AUTHOR’S NOTE:**  This story takes place after the events of [“Credibility Gap”](https://writequillwrite.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/credibility-gap-a-blue-skye-rising-one-shot/). It is recommended you read that one-shot first in order to get the full context behind this story._

_**Skye Emery’s Apartment, SafeHaven Homeless Shelter — April 23rd, 2016** _

When you’re someone who has a personal mission to protect a city of over 2 million people, the days where you don’t have to worry about fighting crime or rescuing people using your superhuman abilities are few and far in-between.

A few days ago, I ran into Zaida Khan, someone I knew from a time that I stayed with her family in those days where I had little-to-no idea about my true nature as a superpowered being. She was kind of a big help when me, Ava, and Finn foiled a Nazi terror group’s plans to use a cheap impersonator of me to incite a race riot in our city. Oh, and I also found out that me and Zaida were kind of in love with each other until my shitty-ass memory decided to ruin things by making me forget about Zaida and my time with her family. Basically, just another day of being Skye Emery.

We decided to find a day to have a little catch-up over some coffee, and today just turned out to be the perfect day for that.

While Ava was out helping Miss Meads with volunteer work for the SafeHaven shelter, Finn managed to find time outside of supporting his hockey-playing boyfriend Stephen O’Day to spend some time with yours truly. I always liked being with Finn, who was probably one of the only few people I knew who saw me as someone that was more than just some superpowered role-model to look up to. Finn was a true friend who stood by me even in the midst of being targeted by SDI’s thugs.

Thankfully, today wasn’t exactly the kind of day for any sort of “extracurricular activity” on my end. So, rather than dressing in my blue biker jacket-and-jeans outfit (a look that Finn happily called my “superhero outfit”, despite said jacket just being plain navy blue), I decided to go for something a bit more casual.

And by “casual”, I meant wearing a light blue sweater and a grey skirt worn over dark purple leggings. Hell, I even decided to style up my hair so it wouldn’t look like I just got out of bed.

I looked myself in the mirror and just kinda laughed for going to all this trouble in trying to look overly “presentable” and whatnot. Even after a couple of months of finally having a place of my own to call home, I was still too used to dressing like I just got off the streets.

Finn, being the ever-observant kind of guy that he was, couldn’t help but notice me being so uncharacteristically meticulous about this whole date thing. He was definitely too used to me usually winging it and doing things on the fly without such attention to details.

Believe it or not, there was actually a time where I would’ve been pissed about Finn being this snarky towards me. That was when I really was so hyperfocused on trying to find out the mysteries of… well, everything about me that I didn’t have time for anything else. It wasn’t until I spent time with Finn after arriving in this city that I learned to “lighten up”, as it were.

“I can’t believe that even after surviving and defeating an army of evil super-soldiers created by some psycho pharmaceutical company and subsequently becoming the biggest thing in this city since the CN Tower…” Finn was having a bit of fun at my expense. “…you’re getting a bit freaked out about a date. This is so unlike you, Skye.”

“To be fair, I’m not exactly used to having a normal day where I don’t fight bad guys or whatever,” I answered while straightening my sweater. “I guess I’m more comfortable throwing myself in danger than when I’m not.”

“You sure about that?” Finn was understandably skeptical about my claims. “Leo tells me you and his Ryerson friend have been getting very friendly with each other. Not that’s a bad thing at all or anything. In fact, I’m kinda happy for you…”

I let out a small chuckle when I heard Finn show his happiness for my situation. “Why thank you, Finn. I never really got a chance to let my feelings out so much like I’ve had in recent days.”

“Oh, you know me. I just try my best bein’ a friend.” Finn happily replied to my lavishing of praise. “And Skye, you’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, aside from Leo and my boyfriend, of course.”

“Y’know something, Finn?” I spoke quietly, still a bit nervous about what I was about to tell him. “There’s actually something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I never actually did get a chance to do so… especially with everything that’s been happening in the past few months.”

“Alright…. then?” Finn was admittedly confused about me starting to open up about myself, but he was willing to listen. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Finn. Don’t worry. Nothing bad’s happening to me.” I quickly moved to reassure. “It’s just… I admit that I kinda don’t know how to say this to you. There’s a very good reason why I’ve been so friendly with Leo’s friend Zaida. It goes way back, well before I ever came to this city.”

“Y’see, a while ago, I stayed with Zaida and her family for a bit. I didn’t know who I was back then, but I honestly couldn’t help but have certain feelings for Zaida. She was one of the few people back then who was unconditionally kind towards me, even if I seemed weird to everyone else.”

“I’d ask about not ever hearing about your new friend before this week,” Finn briefly interrupted my story, really trying his best to not be rude about it. Bless his soul for that. “But, knowing about how your memories were shot to shit because of how you were created in a lab, I’m sorta not surprised.”

I mustered up some courage and just got right to the point with what I was about to tell Finn. “Basically, long story short: I’m a lesbian. Getting a chance to catch up with Zaida made me realize just how happy I was around her.”

“Kinda like how you and Ava bring out the best in me, it’s essentially like that with Zaida, but on a more close level, if that makes any sense. Something like the love that you share with your hockey-playing fiancé, Stephen.”

There was a bit of nervousness on my end about revealing my sexuality, even if it was my one best friend who was hearing all about it. I was never one for being so open about myself to anyone who wasn’t close to me.

So, it came as a relief that Finn, even if he was understandably curious about my realization, was more than willing to listen to my story.

“How come you never told anyone that you were queer?” Finn asked me quietly. “Was it something about being afraid of how people would see you?”

“I guess I could probably relate to that, given how my foster parents treated me when they found out I was gay.”

I knew all about Finn’s story of how he ran off from his foster family after they basically treated him like dirt for being proud of being gay. He was proud of who he was, and I couldn’t help but admire that trait, especially as someone who was still struggling with my own emotions.

“Not exactly. It just never really came up for me at all during all the years I spent drifting from place to place and trying to survive with only me and a bunch of superpowers I didn’t know I had to help me get through everyday.” I responded calmly. “I kinda had nobody to turn to or to talk with about my feelings.”

“Even when I did find someone to be open to, I knew I’d just end up forgetting all about it… but as my best friend, you probably know about all this by now.”

“And I guess you’ve probably not have had the time to settle and think about things given the whole ‘Singularity’ nonsense and ‘SDI trying to turn you into one of their super-soldiers’ stuff, huh?” Finn asked me once more.

I nodded without saying anything. I still was trying to figure out this whole “airing my feelings” business beyond doing that with manifestations of the person that created me inside my head. Practice makes perfect and all that.

“Listen, Skye… I know trying to find out about yourself and all these emotions you’ve been feeling lately has been a bit difficult on you,” Finn kept up with being so encouraging and kind to me. “But, if y’ever need any advice on love or anything like that, I’ll be more than happy to give a kind word as your best friend.”

“Like I told you a while ago: you’re not alone in this any longer.”

“I guess, it’s kinda like you’re the Bucky to my Captain America, huh?” I joked while giving Finn a soft “punch” to his left shoulder. Don’t worry, it was the softest jab I could give anyone — not strong enough to hurt.

“Does this mean I get a metal arm and become a badass?”

“You do know that the Winter Soldier was a bad guy, right?” I teased right back. Before coming to Toronto, I really didn’t consume much of these movies and shows and games, but that definitely did change once Finn got me into watching those  _Avengers_  movies. I had at least a basic knowledge about the  _Avengers_  and who their friends and enemies were.

This was to the point where I actually kinda smiled once when Finn literally compared me to Captain America, probably because of the whole “super-soldier” thing and how good of a person he saw me as.

“I mean he did get turned back into a good guy, Skye.” Finn laughed in response. “I’ve seen the movies more often than you do.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have…” I joked one more time as I headed out of the apartment door. “See ya later, Finn.”

Finn peeked his head from the kitchen to wave me goodbye for the day. “Have fun with your date!”

“Not making any promises, Finwick.” I joked as I left Apartment 105 and headed out the door for some much-needed me time.

—

_**Black Canary Espresso Bar – Yonge-Dundas Square — Later That Day…** _

I dunno if it was Zaida’s funny idea to arrange this pseudo-date we were having at a coffee store located inside a comic book shop, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at the basic gist of what she had in mind. I remembered Zaida being a bit of a nerd when it came to comic books and superhero movies and that fun stuff. I found it quite endearing, actually, especially when Zaida would tell me long stories about how Spider-Man once had to team up with his clone against a bunch of other clones or how insanely convoluted the Final Fantasy stories could be at times.

The actual Black Canary cafe was relatively small, with only a few tables facing the counter and a longer one along the window facing out onto Yonge Street. Seeing as it was attached to a comic shop, the cafe’s small size was unsurprising, but kinda perfect for spending a quiet date with a long-lost friend who you might’ve had a crush on.

Given the whole “Sentinel of The Six” thing (for the record, I didn’t come up with that nickname), it was kinda hard to remain unrecognizable when walking around the city (having deep purple hair with pink highlights doesn’t help with that, either). So it was somewhat of a miracle that the few people who were here really had their own business to attend to and didn’t care all that much that I was here… save for one guy in the Star Wars hoodie who loudly whispered about how cool I was before going back to his thing.

Right away, I saw Zaida sitting at a table right next to a big Batman statue that, fittingly enough, had a rainbow flag hanging on its arm. She had her light yellow hijab on, along with a simple light pink sweater with grey jeans. It was quite a good look for her, if I do say so myself.

“Oh, hey Skye!” Zaida got up from the chair she was sitting on and hugged me once I was near. I, of course, hugged her right back. “I knew you wouldn’t forget about our coffee date.”

“Y’know me… I like keeping my promises.” I said while removing my toque before taking a seat next to Zaida. “How goes things with you?”

“The usual stuff. Getting my life in check and studies and all that.” Zaida was just as cheery as I remembered her after all these years. It was quite infectious, to the point that I started to get into it, too.

“Leo can’t seem to stop talking about you, neither can my friends. Or anyone from my dorm, for that matter.”

I just blushed. “Yeah, it’s prolly not a surprise considering the whole superhero thing that I can’t seem to escape.”

Even after all these months, the idea of being a hero to the people of Canada’s largest city never really seemed to settle in my mind completely. There was still that sense of self-doubt that creeped up from time to time, which seemed to be part and parcel of the confidence issues that I have lived with for many years.

That self-doubt was probably the one thing that plagued me a lot worse than my earlier memory problems or even the scores of SDI scumbags that hunted me endlessly for years. It’s not easy having so much power and still feeling like you haven’t done enough, let me tell you now.

“W-w-wait, about that, Skye… I’ve always wanted to know how you became this city’s hero.” Zaida was feeling that enthusiasm yet again about me. “Y’gotta tell me that story!”

“I think it was during this time I was at a Leafs game with my friends Finn and Ava in February.” I started to tell Zaida about the one incident that seemed to make me into a bigger public icon than when the police thought I was some fugitive. “The Mayor was there to watch the game, but then some random thug who called himself ‘The Rattler’ wanted to kill him for some ‘big score’ or something.”

Zaida was definitely getting engrossed by my story, and I’m sure that the fact that I fought a guy who called himself “The Rattler” like some comic book supervillain probably piqued her interest. She’d probably also like the fact that said snake-themed thug, true to his moniker, had himself weapons that fit his gimmick.

“Why did this Rattler guy want Mayor Morales killed anyway?” Zaida asked me as she dug into her egg sandwich.

“Something about being forced to pay too many taxes, or the fact that he didn’t like that our fair Mayor was of a different culture than he was.” I continued to explain. “In any case, Mr. Snake-Man didn’t stand a chance against me, and once word got out of my daring rescue of Mayor Morales, it didn’t take too long for me to become an overnight sensation.”

As I finished my story, I couldn’t help but notice me and Zaida taking simultaneous bites out of the sandwiches we ordered. We had a laugh about that unexpected moment of synchronized sandwich eating.

“It’s actually been a hell of an internal struggle for me. I think the whole thing with those neo-Nazis’ fake version of me helped worsen these self-confidence issues I’ve had since becoming a superhero.” My story suddenly took an abrupt turn for the sad. It just happens from time to time.

Zaida was a bit confused about what I was alluding to about myself. “The whole city thinks you’re cool, the news can’t stop talking about you… so I apologize if I’m not following about how you have self-esteem struggles. I don’t mean to offend, I’m just curious.”

“I know, but inside it’s a day-to-day battle with my own mind, along with the ones I have with bad guys.” I continued to confess so eloquently. “There’s always this voice inside my head that tells me that I haven’t been doing enough, even with the powers that I have.”

“My parents would always tell me that sometimes, doing what you can is enough.” Zaida told me as she was almost finished with her sandwich. “And if there’s something that no one person can’t solve, it’s always good to have your friends or the people you care about in your corner to help you out.”

“I’d like to think that’s what I’ve got going with both my friend Finn and my younger sister Ava.” I mentioned the small makeshift “family” I had come to bond with since arriving here to Zaida. “They’ve been there for me more often than not. I’m actually quite grateful to know them.”

“And I’d be more than happy to count you among the friends I have in my corner.”

I could see Zaida blushing as much as I was when I said that last thing to her. Even though the good memories we had were a long time ago, I was more than willing to rekindle those feelings I felt in the past.

“So… Skye, with your whole superhero thing, have you thought about having a cool hero name to go along with it?” Zaida decided to take the conversation back to a lighter topic.

“Y’remember that nickname you had from before when you stayed with my family… ‘Bluebird’?”

Even though my memory of this supposed nickname for me was still kinda fuzzy, I did know what Zaida was talking about. During that short time I stayed with her family in Peterborough, there was this time I was oddly fascinated by this lone bluebird flying on its own and away from its flock. I dunno why that one bluebird had my attention, probably because it reminded me so much about how I was for most of my teenage years: mostly alone and isolated from everyone else. In a sense, poor Little Miss Bluebird was one of my only friends at the time.

In any case, Zaida saw me focused on that one bird and decided to call me “Bluebird” as a nickname.

“Yeah. How could I ever forget a name like that?” I replied happily. “I felt like only that bird I watched was the only one who could understand me.”

“Maybe that can be your superhero name, Skye. It fits you so well!” Zaida smiled at the thought of me using an old nickname she gave me for a superhero name.

My cheeks turned pink again at Zaida’s suggestion for my “hero” name. “Um… I think ‘Bluebird’ might be in use already, but I’ll definitely keep it at the back of my head. It’s got a nice ring to it.”

“I think you should also know that I’ve been doing some hero business too, Skye…” Zaida finished off her sandwich before beginning to tell me a story of her own. “It’s not exactly like what you do, but I’m really happy that it helps make sure I’m doing what’s right.”

“So, basically, I do a lot of activist work for this human rights group I helped set up at Ryerson with my friends Keri and Xavier. We basically stage protests to spread awareness about injustices happening in the world right now. Xenophobia, homophobia, sexual assault, homeless people being treated poorly… you name it, we stand against it. We also do a lot of charity work to support worthy causes. It’s tiring, but it’s satisfying.”

“I’m quite happy to hear that.” I beamed with pride at Zaida’s exploits. Sure, she wasn’t out there being a superhero like I was, but I knew that you don’t exactly have to be superpowered to make a difference in people’s lives.

I finished my sandwich with one big bite before giving a salute to the person working at the counter for making a damn good sandwich.

The good times were certainly rolling during this coffee date me and Zaida were having, so I kinda felt bad to put some perspective about the whole ‘in love with a superhero’ thing like I was about to.

“I know you love me and I’m more than happy to share that love with you,” I began to talk sincerely. “But, you do understand that falling in love with this city’s biggest superhero is something that’s dangerously risky, right?”

“Given that you read a lot of comics, you should know that it probably won’t be long ’til some bad guy decides to target you in order to get to me…”

Zaida shushed me with a smile on her face, oddly enough. “‘Course I know all about that, Skye. But I’m definitely more capable of handling myself if any bad dudes decide to come after me.”

“I mean, you saw how I was fighting against those Nazi militia guys a few days ago, right? Anyone that wants to get me just might be in for a big surprise.”

I conceded pretty quickly after hearing Zaida explain herself. She did have a point about how I witnessed her hanging tough against a couple of dangerous crooks in those Freedom Militia thugs. I didn’t mean to underestimate Zaida as much as I was. I guess I was letting my nerves get the best of me once again.

“I’m really sorry if I sounded harsh there. I didn’t mean to be rude or anything…” I lowered my voice and apologized in embarrassment.

“No, no, Skye… it’s okay.” Zaida quickly accepted my apology. “I know you weren’t being mean. You’re only trying to keep me safe, and I appreciate that a lot.”

“I think it shows just how much I mean to you if you’re considerate about wanting to protect me from whatever enemy wants to get you.”

I was glad to know people who were so understanding and didn’t jump to conclusions when it came to me admitting feelings, especially after many years of being forced to rely on nobody but my own self due to being constantly on the run.

“My family’s planning on going to Lebanon in May to celebrate Ramadan with our relatives there.” Zaida explained. “My parents have been very supportive about who I choose to love, even if our religious tradition isn’t exactly clear on how they’d see someone like me falling for someone of the same gender or how I’d fit in the ummah.”

I had some knowledge about Islamic traditions in the back of my head, particularly after the time I spent with Zaida’s family, and I knew that there indeed was a bit of a grey area when it came to queer love like what I had with Zaida. Apparently, some Muslims weren’t exactly welcoming of LGBTQ people, while other Muslims — like Zaida’s family, for instance — were a lot more open and forgiving about the whole thing.

“I was actually scared to come out as a lesbian in front of my parents after I realized I was in love with you,” Zaida had a story of her own to tell to me. “Which is why I was so glad that they were okay with it.”

“In the meantime, though, I just learn to reconcile and embrace both my religion and everything that makes me who I am. I believe there’s room for both.”

I replied right away. “Sometimes, that’s the best thing we can do. It’s not just what faith we believe in or where we grow up that define who we are. Our dreams make us who we are. They help us be the best of ourselves and give us hope when we need it most.”

“You should never be afraid of being proud of who you are, Zaida. Because to me, you’re wonderful.”

All things considered, I don’t think myself as much of a motivator, even with the whole superhero angle going for me. However, I believed every word that I was saying to Zaida. I sincerely was in love with her.

“So, um, we’re actually leaving Canada later today from Pearson, but you’re more than welcome to come see us off, Skye.” Zaida cheerily gave me an invitation for later today. “And if you’d like, you can even bring both Finn and Ava, too. I’d really love to meet them.”

I nodded in agreement. “Definitely. We’re not exactly occupied with stuff to do today, so we’d be more than happy to say goodbye later.”

“But… I think I had another idea for how else we could spend our last day together for a while.”

“Well, we did already have our stuff packed and ready… and my parents did let me have this day to spend some time in the city before we left Canada.” Zaida agreed with what I had in mind. “So, I’m down with whatever you’ve got planned.”

I just had this mischievous, yet playful smile on face. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights, Zaida.”

—

_**The Edge of the CN Tower — 2:00pm** _

“Y’know, Skye… I think I kinda want to take back my earlier agreement of what your idea of ‘fun’ was.” Zaida gave me a nervous look before facing out to the vastness that was Toronto.

“Aw, come on, Z… don’t back out on me now!” I had a gleeful laugh about being out here. “…you’re one who said ‘yes’ to all this!”

“Yeah, I know…” Zaida replied jokingly to me. “It’s just… it’s not everyday your girlfriend who you knew a long time ago decides that hanging on the edge of the CN Tower is an ideal thing to do on a date.”

We had spent about an hour being prepped and briefed on the whole EdgeWalk thing by a CN Tower staffer before we got suited up in garish red bodysuits that we’d be required to wear for the duration of our walk along the edge of the Tower.

With only two harnesses attached to an overhead railing each holding on to me and Zaida (along with the other brave few who wanted to be here), we were just about ready to make our trek around the top of the CN Tower. I carefully looked at the harnesses that latched on to my bodysuit, hoping they’d be strong enough to hold on to a superpowered person like me.

“Alright, everyone! Now that we’re all settled, if you could just follow me and we’ll let this literal walk on the wild side begin!” the EdgeWalk tour guide was very enthused by leading our group on this thing.

To my surprise, it seemed Zaida was enjoying the heck out of this more than I was. I saw her leaning back a few times so that she could have a look at the mass of skyscrapers below us that comprised our fair city. So much for “taking back her agreement of my idea of ‘fun’.”

“Wooooooo-hooo! I’m Queen of Everything!” Zaida, with both arms outstretched, shouted in the happiest voice I’ve ever heard. While the other four people who were with us here on the EdgeWalk were a bit baffled, I just quietly laughed to myself.

This 1136ft view of Toronto was something I had never experienced before in my entire life. Somehow, even though we were all closer to the sky than any one person could ever be, I found a certain grace in just staring out in the seemingly endless blue literally above it all. For some reason, it was a feeling that was familiar and close to my heart.

“My mom used to tell me as a kid about how she was inspired to name me ‘Skye’ by the sky above us…” I began to tell Zaida the story about why I was named the way I was while we followed the four others walking around the Tower. “…she’d always say that it was because she saw limitless possibilities for me when I became older.”

“Your mother… who was she?” Zaida was very curious about what I was talking about.

“You probably know all about how I was created in some lab to be a super-soldier, right?” I explained to Zaida about Dr. Elizabeth Emery. “My mom was one of those people that helped to create me way back in 1995, but she knew I was meant for more. She knew that I had my own destiny to fulfill, one free from being some mindless soldier following orders.”

“It’s why she brought me with her when I was just born after she left SDI. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have feelings of my own… like how I feel when I’m around you.”

“Aww, you’re very sweet.” Zaida told me.

“Ah, I try my best.” I shrugged humbly.

The tour pretty much continued as usual — with the tour guide breathlessly pointing out various Toronto locales to the best of his ability, as well as me and Zaida having a bit of a laugh whenever the tour guide flubbed his words — right up until I had an idea go off in my head.

I turned to the EdgeWalk tour guide and had a most unusual request. “I heard you take pictures of the experience out here, right?”

“Er… yes?” the tour guide responded to me. “It’s actually a standard thing that’s part of the EdgeWalk package, ma’am.”

The idea I had in mind was now quite clear for me. “If it’s not a hassle or anything, would it be possible to get a picture of me and my friend sitting on the edge.”

“Um… that’s not exactly safe, ma’am.” the tour guide warned me politely about what I wanted to do. “I’d advise against that.”

“Don’t worry, sir. We’ll be careful.” I just shrugged before flashing a most awkward-looking grin to the tour guide. “We just need like a second or something. I mean… would you really want to say ‘no’ to me, the one and only Skye Emery?”

“Okay, fine…. ” The tour guide just grumbled as he agreed to let me and Zaida sit on the edge of the railing we were all standing on. “Just… don’t take too long with this. I don’t wanna get in trouble with my boss for what I’m letting you and your friend do.”

I’ll admit, it felt kinda odd that I was using my fame as a local superhero for my own uses, but given that it was for a very small favor for a friend, I guess it wasn’t so bad… I think.

As me and Zaida sat on the edge of the railing, looking out towards Lake Ontario and the Toronto Islands, the tour guide positioned himself behind us so he could take the photo I requested. Fortunately for us two, the harnesses attached to our body suits were sturdy enough even to kept us held onto the railing while we sat.

I leaned myself against Zaida’s shoulders, that sentimental feeling kicking in my heart once again. It’s a hell of a feeling that not even the audibly loud sound of the tour guide taking a picture could ruin.

“I love you so damned much, Zaida Khan.” I sighed affectionately.

Zaida returned that kindness I was expressing towards her. “I know.”

—

_**Toronto Pearson International Airport — 8:30pm** _

True to my word, I managed to convince Ava and Finn to come with me to the airport via UP Express to say my final goodbyes to Zaida for the time being. On the way to Pearson, I caught Ava up to speed about my feelings for Zaida and everything that entailed it. To say she was fascinated about it would be an understatement.

“That’s so awesome!” Ava was definitely happy to see me find love of my own. “I never imagined you’d be the romantic type, but I’m so happy that y’got a girlfriend, sis.”

“I’d think you and Zaida would get along quite well, Ava.” I nodded to my sister, who seemed tickled by the idea of being friends with the girl that I loved. Maybe I can get ’em to hang out sometime.

We walked through Terminal One for a good few minutes, past through the many people looking to find their flights. Meanwhile, we were trying to find Zaida and her family before it was time for them to get past security check-ins. Lucky for us, superhuman vision really helps in these kinds of situations.

“Come on, Zaida and her family are right there.” I told Finn and Ava as we walked towards the Air Canada check-in area. Right away, I saw Zaida saw me standing with both Finn and Ava and waved at the three of us.

“Hi again, Skye! And you two must be best friend Finn and little sister Ava. I’m so glad to finally meet the two of you!”

Ava gave Zaida a shy wave, while Finn was a bit more understated in introducing himself to my girlfriend. “Oh, um… hello. I’m Finn. And you must be Skye’s girlfriend, correct?”

Zaida nodded happily at Finn’s question about our current relationship status. “That’s indeed correct. I’ve actually known Skye for a long time. She stayed with my family way back in 2012.”

Soon enough, Mr. & Mrs. Khan saw me, Ava, and Finn with their daughter and they didn’t waste any time in introducing themselves to us.

“Oh… it’s been so long since we saw you!” Aamir Khan, the father, greeted me with the same kindness that I remembered from long ago. “And from what I’ve heard on the news, you’ve been keeping yourself quite busy since you were staying with us.”

“Yeah… quite different from the shy, nervous red-haired kid who knocked on your door, huh?” I poked fun at myself. “I guess that’s what happens when you find out when you were the by-product of some evil pharmaceutical company’s super-soldier ambitions.”

Naturally, both Aamir and Rahimah looked at me with confusion, until me and Zaida both chuckled to break the silence.

“In, um, any case… me and Aamir are both glad our daughter has found love,” Rahimah expressed a similar joy about this whole thing as her husband did. “And we’re glad she’s together with someone like you, Skye.”

“I know that this kind of love is… a bit of a point of contention in our religion, but me and my husband are honestly just happy for our daughter. And we have you to thank, Ms. Emery.”

I spoke up again. “Actually, Mrs. Khan, I want to thank Zaida. After the past few months, she’s helped me in more ways than I have. She’s a good kid with a bright future ahead of her.”

Unfortunately, the time for pleasantries couldn’t last long. Zaida’s family’s Air Canada flight was boarding in about an hour, so we really couldn’t spend too much time chatting, as much as we wanted to.

“Before you leave, I just thought I’d give you a keepsake…” I reached inside my bag to grab a CN Tower plastic bag. By the look on Zaida’s face, I think she knew what I was about to gift her.

That keepsake? A framed photo of me and Zaida sitting on top of the CN Tower from earlier today. I had my own copy of the photo, but that was just a simple, non-framed one. Zaida had the extra-special one.

“Skye, this is amazing! I really appreciate it!” Zaida hugged me again before she looked inside the yellow knapsack she was wearing on her shoulders. “I also got you something, too.”

Zaida gave me a medium-sized box that I immediately unwrapped. Inside the box was a wooden mosaic with “سلام” (“Salaam”, an Arabic word for peace) on it, with parts of the mosaic forming the word. Both Finn and Ava seemed to think it was beautifully-made.

“My parents made this for me when I was a kid, but I think you’ll like it, too.” Zaida explained her gift to me. “May it help you find peace not only in your superheroics, but also in your life with both Finn and Ava.”

“Both of them are lucky to have in their life someone as caring and compassionate as you are, Skye.”

I began to cry joyfully in appreciation of Zaida’s gift. “It’s lovely. I… I don’t know what to say. I… I… thank you so much for this, Zaida. It’s very lovely.”

“I hope we get to see each other again real soon, Skye. I promise that when my family gets back here after the summer, I’ll come drop by to see how you’re doing.” Zaida beamed with joy as she prepared to say goodbye to me.

“Hopefully nobody’s trying to kill you or turn you into some super-assassin or whatever.”

“You don’t know how much I’m gonna miss that wit of yours.” I said while fighting back a single tear in my eye. That was before I gave Zaida the most affectionate hug that I ever gave to someone not named “Finn” or “Ava”… and believe me, that list is not a very long one.

That shared hug soon became a shared kiss between me and Zaida… pretty much the first real kiss I’ve had for my entire life. I know I’m not exactly the romantic type like Finn is with his boyfriend Stephen, but this moment with Zaida? It was just right. It was what I needed right now.

I’m not exactly good with descriptions — especially when it comes to things like romance. But, in short… this kiss with Zaida? It felt special. It felt satisfying. It was the greatest feeling I’ve had in quite a while.

As Zaida walked through the security screening gate with her parents, she gave me one final warm smile. I smiled back while waving goodbye to the young woman I was proud to know as my girlfriend.

Finn put one arm on my shoulder and looked at me wistfully. “Y’gonna be alright, Skye?” He seemed to feel both happy and a bit sympathetic to me for having to say farewell to my girlfriend after only a few days of reconnecting with her.

I wiped away a single tear from my face and just cracked a smile, as I looked at the picture of me and Zaida. “Yeah. It feels so weird to be in love.. but I think I like it a lot.”

These past few days since reuniting with Zaida and fighting those neo-Nazis on our city’s streets made me realize that this hero stuff had greater weight than I thought. It also made me realize that there was far more to this than simply just fighting one bad guy after the other.

I now understood that I wasn’t just fighting to protect Toronto, but I was also fighting to protect the things I held so dear to me — and that didn’t just mean the people I now was happy to call my “family”. It also included the diverse citizens that comprised the city that I was proud to be a part of now.

Toronto was my home, and its people were my people. And whether I was the Sentinel of the Six, the Girl From Nowhere, Bluebird, or just plain old Skye Emery, I was prouder than ever to stand up for not only what I believed in, but also for the city I called home.

**End**

**_Special thanks to E.M. Marcon for additional story input & advice._ **

—

In “Credibility Gap”, the latest Blue Skye Rising one-shot, and the story you’ve just read, we found out that main heroine Skye Emery identifies as a lesbian after she reconnected with twenty-one year-old Zaida Khan, an old friend she stayed with during the many years spent on the run. This story expands upon that element to showcase a love that transcends cultures in a way that I hope is satisfying for all readers.

Right from the start, I never thought this world that I’d create would resonate with me to such an extent. The diversity you see in the world of Blue Skye isn’t just a gimmick with no substance. It’s the pulse that keeps it going and helps keep it true to the diversity present in the real-life version of Toronto. Yes, there isn’t an all-powerful superhero running around the city, but I wanted that diversity represented partially through my story’s main heroes.

I strongly believe in the power of diversity and what we can accomplish together, even in the face of darkness. I hope that the adventures of Skye Emery and her friends not only entertain you, but also help you find hope and pride in what you believe in.

**Marc Quill**

**(c)2016, 2017, 2018 Marc Quill. All Rights Reserved.**


End file.
